Workmen's advocate., 1887-01-08
.SIGNSOF THE TIMES
A RESULT OF GOING INTO
 INDEPENDENT POLITICS.
Governor Hill. of New York, Substan. tially Recommends the Plat. form of Organized Labor.
 A Politician With
 A Big Head.

NEW YORK, January 6.-On Tues day last, David B. Hill, Governor of New York State, issued his annual message to the legislative bodies of that State. In his document he makes sixteen recommendations which ought to be acted upon dur ing the coming session, many of which bear directly upon the inter- ests of Organized Labor, and the whole may be taken as a substantial endorsement of the views of the wage-workers.
 Governor Hill has long possessed the reputation of q long-headed and far-sighted politician, moreover he is a man of pronounced executive ability, and essentially practical ideas.
 In marked contrast to his thick witted Presidential colleague, Grover Cleveland, the Governor has sound- ed the depths of the independent political movement of the workers, and has realized that this force must eventually sweep all before it. Ac- cordingly he finds it necessary to recognize this growing power, and to take stand upon the right side.
 This article should not be mls- taken as a guarantee of the sheer ity of Governor Hill. Of this we know nothing. We simply place the recommendations before you and desire to casual y remark that if all, or a part of them, should be realized during the coming session of the New York Legislature, 1t will be the greatest forward step that Labor has ever taken, and 1t will be attrb- utable solely to the recent political movement of the workers in New York City.
 Following are Governor Hills rec concentrations bearing upon "La- bor:'
 PRISON LABOR.
 1). A permanent system for the em- ployment of prison labor.
 This recommendation is not, however, intended to include or favor the rein statement of the contract system, or any other plan that is equivalent to it. The Legislature of 1883 permitted the people to vote upon the question of the aboli- tion of the contract system, and they by a large majority having expressed them selves as opposed to its continuance, it becomes our duty to respect their yer dict. Some other system must be de vised which should be substantially free from the objections which were urged to the contract system. My views as to the general features which should character ize whatever plan may be proposed are so well known, and have been so ire quently expressed to the Legislature, that any further suggestions upon this subject at this time seems unnecessary.
 NATURALIZATION.
 (3). An amendment to the election laws of the State so as to permit natural ized citizens to be registered without the production of their naturalization pa pers, in case of the loss or destruction of such papers, and making their oath or affidavit conclusive evidence of citizen ship for the purposes of registration. The necessity for this amendment was fully explained in my annual message of 1885, to which the Legislature is respect fully referred. The propriety of placing naturalized citizens upon an equality with the native born. in the matter of affording equal facilities for honest reg istration and honest voting, cannot seri- ously be questioned by unprejudiced men. It is submitted that justice in this respect should not longer be delayed.
 NO MORE wATERED STOCK.
 n5). An act limiting, regulating and restricting the power of corporations in the issue of stock and bonds.
 The manner in which corporations un- der existing laws are permitted to issue and nlace upon the market stock and